In a surprising move reminiscent of Orson Scott Card’s famous sci-fi novel Ender’s Game, the Office of Naval Research has revealed that it will begin using a video game to help develop new security strategies. This month they’ll be rolling out MMOWGLI – Massively Multiplayer Online Wargame Game Leveraging the Internet.
The goal is to bring together thousands of players that could provide new perspectives, distinct from military minds alone. In fact, 7000 people have already signed up for this simulation game, where they will work together to respond to a series of made-up geopolitical situations.
Although the game admittedly will be lacking in the high-action, guns-ablazing gameplay that we’ve come to expect from tactical or military games nowadays, the heightened sense of community and the knowledge that players are participating in something real will likely keep gamers returning. And while MMOWGLI is in the end just a game, it will reportedly be monitored 24/7 to both alleviate potential pitfalls as well as harvest new military strategy and policy – the end goal of the game.
You can sign up on MMOWGLI‘s website to be notified when the game launches, purportedly “Spring 2011.” And as Spring is quickly running out, the Washington Post asserts that the game will be out sometime this month.
Personally, after having read a few sci-fi novels (i.e., the aforementioned Ender’s Game), I’d think twice before participating in any sort of military “test” involving video games. You never know when the “simulation games” will turn a bit too real.
via Washington Post